Articles

God’s Plan for Salvation: The Covenant

Jeremy Jones09/02/18
- God's Great Plan

From the beginning, God has described His relationship to man in terms of a covenant. The basic covenant has remained essentially the same. “I will be your God, and you shall be My people” (Heb. 8:10). The Hebrew word for covenant is related to a word meaning “to eat.” Early covenants in the ancient near east were traditionally ratified with a meal, and God’s was as well (Ex. 24:11, Matt. 26:27-29)

God’s first covenant was broken by the Israelites. Though He was faithful, they were not (Jer. 7:23-24). God still desires a people that He can have a covenant relationship with. He has now offered a new covenant with better promises than the old covenant for all those that would seek Him (Heb. 8:6).

God made a covenant with the nation of Israel. Exodus 6:3-7

-God laid out the terms. (Ex. 19:1-6)

-Israel agreed to the terms. (Ex. 19:7-8)

God and Israel officially ratified the covenant. Exodus 24:1-11

-By officially declaring agreement. (3, 7)

-By the offering of sacrifices. (5)

-By the blood of the covenant. (6, 8)

-By a fellowship meal with God. (9-11)

God’s purpose behind the covenant was to make men holy. Leviticus 19:1-2

-The book of Leviticus states, “I am the Lord your God,” over and over.

-Their obedience was to be prompted by the holy nature of God.

God’s covenant was broken by Israel. Jeremiah 7:23-24; 11:10

God promised he would make a new covenant. Jeremiah 31:31-34

-God said of Israel, “You are not My people, and I am not your God.” (Hos. 1:9)

-He promised a day when this would no longer be the case. (Hos. 1:10-11)

-Ezekiel prophesied of this same day. (Eze. 37:11-14)

God has established a new covenant through Christ. Hebrews 8; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1